Reliability of the Thai version of the Trunk Assessment Scale for spinal cord injury: a preliminary study
Keywords:
spinal cord injury, sitting balance, trunk assessment scale, reliability, internal consistencyAbstract
Objective: Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) often results in impaired sitting balance and trunk control, which are critical for functional independence and quality of life. The Trunk Assessment Scale for Spinal Cord Injury (TASS) was developed to assess sitting balance and trunk control in individuals with SCI. Currently, there is a Thai translation available. However, no analysis of its reliability has been conducted. This study aimed to assess the inter-rater reliability and internal consistency of the Thai version of TASS to ensure its suitability for use in clinical and research settings.
Materials and Methods: Ten individuals with SCI were assessed by three trained raters using the Thai version of TASS. Assessments were conducted independently to ensure unbiased scoring. Inter-rater reliability was analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Internal consistency was analyzed using Cronbach’s alpha.
Result: The Thai version of TASS demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability, with an ICC of 0.976 (95% CI: 0.929-0.993). Internal consistency was excellent, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.935, indicating strong agreement among the items within the scale.
Conclusion: The Thai version of TASS is a reliable tool as evidenced by its excellent inter-rater reliability and high internal consistency. These findings support that it can be use in clinical and research settings to assess sitting balance in among individuals with SCI among evaluations in Thailand.
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